


The well of souls

by birman



Category: VIXX
Genre: I swear you can enjoy this even if you haven't played dragon age!, M/M, vixx - au, vixx - fantasy, vixx / dragon age au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-30
Updated: 2019-07-30
Packaged: 2020-07-27 06:22:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20041348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/birman/pseuds/birman
Summary: please note: this is an old fic I had uploaded here on ao3 some time ago under the pseud myridiel, and then taken down once I had basically left the vixx/kpop fandom and was not longer interested in keeping them up.I’m re-uploading all my vixx fics because… I don’t know, someone might feel like reading them I guess? lol, anyway have fun if you do ;)note 2:set right after Dragon Age 2, and before the Conclave/the Breach happened in Dragon Age Inquisition





	The well of souls

**Author's Note:**

> please note: this is an old fic I had uploaded here on ao3 some time ago under the pseud myridiel, and then taken down once I had basically left the vixx/kpop fandom and was not longer interested in keeping them up.  
I’m re-uploading all my vixx fics because… I don’t know, someone might feel like reading them I guess? lol, anyway have fun if you do ;)
> 
> **note 2:** set right after Dragon Age 2, and before the Conclave/the Breach happened in Dragon Age Inquisition

_Here lies the abyss, the well of all souls._  
_From these emerald waters doth life begin anew._  
_Come to me, child, and I shall embrace you._  
_In my arms lies eternity._  
_-Canticle of Andraste, 14:11 -_

Jaehwan closed the door of the wooden house and smiled: his bag was now heavy, full of fresh vegetables and fruits. They would last nicely for the next few days.  
He even got some milk, the farmers must have felt extremely grateful.

Admittedly, they had plenty of reasons to be grateful: Jaehwan had been tending to their only daughter for the most part of the night, and now the little girl was running again just like she hadn’t been deadly sick in the first place.

Jaehwan was a healer, the only healer that village and its surrounding farms had.  
But he was also a mage, and he confided on the fact that he was a _very_ good healer to have the villagers on his side and keep him safe from any wandering templar or any zealot that would report him to the Chantry in the blink of an eye.

He wasn’t stupid though: he knew how to use herbs and potions very well, so he could keep the use of magic to a minimum, for the most serious cases only.  
Like the one he had just successfully treated.

Now he could go back home and make himself a nice meal. Jaehwan never asked for money when he healed people, and usually accepted whatever food they could give him, the villagers gladly sharing with him anything they had to spare.

He looked up at the sky and began walking down the forest path: he was tired from the sleepless night, but the weather was so nice that he couldn’t help but feel happy, and soon he found himself singing softly as he walked.

Jaehwan lived in a hut deep in the forest, away from the rest of the houses and farms, as it was the best place to live for someone with the constant need to go look for wild herbs.  
And it was this fact that spurred him to go look for some Crystal Grace, as the rare plant should be in bloom by now and he knew of a few places where it grew.

And so he stepped out from the main path, walking briskly through the undergrowth while still singing to himself.  
If he remembered correctly, there was a brook that had formed a small pond at the foot of a large boulder a little deeper in the forest, and he remembered seeing a few Crystal Grace plants growing there, along with the more common (but ever useful) Elfroot.  
The place was lovely, and Jaehwan thought that maybe he could take a break there before going home, and eat some of the fruit he got earlier.

When he got to the pond, though, the words of the song he was still singing died in his throat: there was a body on the ground by the rocks.  
A templar. Dead, by the look of it.

Jaehwan froze in fear for a moment: of all the places, why so close to his house? And who would have attacked a templar? Other mages? Bandits?  
Still immersed in these thoughts, he took a step closer to the body, and then another.

He almost jumped back in surprise when he heard a faint sound coming from the man, and he rushed forward, kneeling next to him to check that, in fact, he was still alive, even if barely so.  
Templar or not, Jaehwan was a healer, and he couldn’t ignore anyone who might need him.

The templar’s robes were torn and bloodied, his chest armour piece lying on the ground near him, and Jaehwan could see a big gash on his stomach and a number of minor cuts all over.  
He cursed as he dug into his bag for a clean cloth. He ran to the pool of clear water behind them and soaked the cloth in it, using it to wash the wounds.

As he had used up almost all his healing potions on the farmer’s daughter, he plucked up a few elfroot plants that grew all over the place, sliced up the root and squeezed the juice on the wounds before dressing them as best as he could with the few bandages he had at the moment.

He was tending on the smaller cuts when the templar’s hand closed around his wrist in an iron grip, making him yelp.  
“Who- who are you.” the templar croaked. He was still wearing his helmet, and all Jaehwan could see were a pair of piercing, almond-shaped eyes staring right at him.

“My name’s Jaehwan.” he murmured in what he hoped was a soothing tone, trying to peel those fingers away from his wrist. “I’m a healer, I was trying to help you.”  
The templar stared at Jaehwan for a few more seconds, then released him: “Thank you.”

Jaehwan grabbed his skin of water and showed it to the templar, pointing to the helmet still covering his face: “Your helmet… can I…?”  
When the soldier nodded, he gently slipped the helmet off, revealing a young, attractive face, sweaty dark hair plastered to his forehead. Jaehwan then lifted the templar’s head, helping him drink some water.

“I need to treat those wounds better. Do you think you can walk? My house is not far.”  
The templar nodded again and, with Jaehwan’s help, he got to his feet. He slid one arm around the healer’s shoulders and they slowly made their way through the woods.

Jaehwan’s hut was in the woods south of Denerim, in the most northern zone of the Brecilian Forest.  
People tended to avoid the forest because it was home of a group of werewolves. Or at least it was, till the Hero of Ferelden lifted their curse years ago.  
Even the Dalish clan that used to live there had left around that time, but the people still wouldn’t cross the woods unless absolutely necessary.  
Which suited Jaehwan just fine, it meant that fewer people would go look for him.

When they reached the small, simple wooden house, Jaehwan laid the wounded templar on his own bed, where he fell with a loud groan.  
“I need to take off your armour and clothes to treat your wounds.” he said softly, pulling at the soldier’s robe.

The templar looked at him for a moment, thinking, then helped Jaehwan undress him, lying back on the bed in only his pants.  
Jaehwan pressed his lips in a thin line as he took in the extent of the wounds, then walked to his work bench to gather various ointments and potions.

The eyes of the soldier never left him as he treated and bandaged him: “You’re not going to ask what happened to me?” he asked quietly.  
Jaehwan had only heard him speak from behind his helmet, the metal barrier twisting his tone, and his soft voice surprised him for a moment: “I won’t say I’m not curious, but we all have our secrets. I will gladly listen to your story if and when you feel like talking about it.” he replied with a smile.  
The templar nodded, then closed his eyes, his features finally relaxed: “My name’s Taekwoon.”

Jaehwan nodded in acknowledgment even if Taekwoon couldn’t see him, and began humming a song as he worked.  
Soon enough, the templar’s breathing slowed down in a steady rhythm, and Jaehwan smiled, satisfied.

He walked out the hut and cracked his back, sitting down with a huff in a sunny patch of grass. He lay on his back and let the sun warm his tired body.  
He groaned loud as the implications of his actions finally, fully kicked in: he had just let a templar - _a fucking templar!_ \- in his house!

Jaehwan sighed, because he knew he’d still do it if the occasion would arise again: he was a healer through and through, and would always try to help whoever was in need of his talents.  
Even his old mentor at the Circle would sometimes praise him, sometimes make fun of him because of this, as there was no mage, templar, or even pet Jaehwan wouldn’t try and aid in his training years.

The best course of action would be, of course, to avoid using his magic until the templar would be strong enough to leave.  
But… he’d probably need weeks to fully heal. His body was covered in cuts and bruises, and, in addition to the larger gash on his stomach, he had another one on his side. 

When Jaehwan had found him, he was already weak from the blood loss, any more time in those woods and he would have been dead for sure.  
Templar or not, Jaehwan didn’t want anyone to suffer, if he could help avoiding it.

Which led to another issue, if the templar- Taekwoon - was to stay at his place: lyrium.  
Templars were given lyrium by the Chantry to help develop their anti-magic skills and resistance, but in turn the mineral made them addicted, and withdrawal symptoms were common in templars who left the order.

Jaehwan decided to ask Taekwoon once he woke up what he would need, because the idea of a lyrium-deprived crazed templar in his house wasn’t very appealing, to say the least.  
He yawned and closed his eyes, the warm sun on his face finally lulling him to sleep despite his worries.

He woke up with a start. The sun was already going down behind the trees, and the warm, sunny patch of grass he was lying on before was now in the shadows and growing cold.  
Shivering, Jaehwan walked back to his hut and pushed the door open, Taekwoon’s soft breathing the only sound coming from inside.

Jaehwan checked his minor wounds and nodded, satisfied.  
His two large cuts, however, had bled through the bandages. Not heavily, which was a blessing, but Jaehwan still needed to change them.  
He shook the templar awake and he opened his eyes, quickly focusing on Jaehwan.  
“I need to clean your wounds,” Jaehwan said apologetically, “I need you to help me with this if you can.”

Taekwoon nodded, grimacing in pain as he lifted his hips and back as much as he could to allow Jaehwan to unwrap the bloody bandages and clean him up.  
During all the time it took the mage to treat him, he didn’t say a single word, his eyes following Jaehwan’s every move instead, making him utterly nervous.  
“There… done. All those small cuts should feel much better in the morning. I’m afraid the big wounds will take longer to heal.”  
“Thank you.” Taekwoon murmured, and Jaehwan smiled.  
“It’s alright.” he replied, standing up. “I’ll prepare dinner now. I apologize it won’t be much, the farmers can’t afford to give me a lot of food in exchange for my potions.”  
“I understand. Thank you again, I’ll try and leave as soon as I can.”  
“Nonsense.” Jaehwan waved Taekwoon’s words away. “You’ll leave when you’ve healed, not before.”

They ate in silence, then Jaehwan set up a small cot by the fireplace, since his bed was now occupied by Taekwoon.  
“I’m sorry…” Taekwoon began once again, but Jaehwan interrupted him with a laugh.  
“You apologize way too much, my friend. Right now, you need that bed more than I do, so just sleep and don’t worry about me.”  
“Thank you. I’ll find a way to repay you.”  
Jaehwan hummed in reply, then laid his head down on his makeshift bed and fell asleep right away.

\--------------------------

Just like Jaehwan predicted, Taekwoon’s small wounds were almost completely healed in the morning.  
It took him five more days, however, before he could sit up in bed, and another week and a half before Jaehwan allowed him to get up and take small walks inside the hut.

Jaehwan would still go on his rounds to the farmers’ houses to check if they had need of his services, but he wouldn't stay out as long as he used to, not wanting to leave Taekwoon alone for too long.  
“Don’t worry about me, Jaehwan.” Taekwoon told him one night as the healer applied some ointment on his wounds, which now looked like angry red scratches. “I’m feeling a lot better now, thanks to you. I can leave anytime, even tomorrow if you want me to.”  
“Do you have anywhere you need to be?” Jaehwan sighed. “For a templar, you don’t seem in a hurry to report back to your superior about what happened to you.”

“No, I…” Taekwoon trailed off, biting his lower lip.  
“I apologize.” Jaehwan closed the lid on his ointment jar and put it away together with the rest of his potions, his back to Taekwoon.  
To tell the truth, Jaehwan had always avoided asking the templar why he was in the woods that day, and who attacked him. At first, it was out of fear that he was indeed hunting down mages, and had heard of him somehow, but now… now he realized that he enjoyed his company, it had become a habit to come back home and see Taekwoon’s calm face every day.  
It made him feel less lonely.

“I got attacked by other templars.” Taekwoon told him later that evening, during dinner.  
Jaehwan looked up from his food, surprised: “You don't have to tell me, if you don't feel like it.”  
“No, I owe you an explanation.” Taekwoon shook his head, before taking a deep breath.

“My order is not the same anymore.” he went on, “Everybody's gone crazy… templars, mages… they all kill each other without a second thought. This… this is not what I believed in when I joined. I couldn't just look on while my comrades went rogue and killed everyone they had sworn to protect.”  
“And so you followed them into the forest and fought?”  
Taekwoon nodded: “Yes. I left what remained of my group and followed them all the way from Amaranthine, but they were many, and stronger than me. I couldn't do anything, and if you hadn’t rescued me I’d be dead by now”  
“Amaranthine? That's quite the journey.”

Jaehwan was impressed: he had thought Taekwoon had come from the capital, Denerim, which was the closest city to where he lived.  
“I was stationed at the Chantry in Amaranthine when the mage rebellion started, my first assignment since my training ended.”  
“You’re not from Amaranthine then?”  
Taekwoon shook his head: “No, my hometown is Highever.”  
“Highever!” Jaehwan exclaimed in a high pitch, sitting up straight. “That’s where the Hero of Ferelden came from! Did you know her?”  
“Sorta.” Taekwoon replied with a little smile, amused at Jaehwan’s enthusiasm, “My family has been working for the Couslands for generations, but I was little when the old teyrn was killed and she left.”  
“I was born near Redcliffe,” Jaehwan told him in return, “then life brought me here, in the middle of nowhere. But it’s not so bad, my talents here are appreciated.”  
“I should know.” Taekwoon said with a smile, and they both fell silent as they finished their dinner.

Another week went by before Taekwoon’s wounds healed almost completely.  
They looked like tender pink scars now, and they didn’t hurt as much as before, allowing Taekwoon to get up and grow restless with inactivity, as Jaehwan kept scolding him not to make any ‘unneeded’ movement that would make his wounds open again.

So when Jaehwan came back home one day after one of the farmers asked for his help, and found Taekwoon swinging his sword in front of his hut, shirtless, he almost choked.  
“What are you doing? You’ll get hurt again!” he spluttered, cheeks dusting with pink and eyes darting anywhere but at Taekwoon’s chest.  
“Don’t worry mother, I feel fine. I need to get back into my fighting routine, as much as possible.” Taekwoon dismissed him, swinging his sword one last time. “I fear I’m getting out of shape.”

“Your shape is more than perfect.” Jaehwan muttered under his breath as Taekwoon turned around to pick his shirt up, so low that he was sure he wouldn’t hear him.  
But Taekwoon gave him a little smirk as he pulled his shirt over his head, his eyes sparkling playfully, and Jaehwan felt himself flush even harder.

\--------------------------

The following morning, Taekwoon woke up to a string of swears so heavy and loud that it would easily make a veteran sailor blush.  
Alarmed, he rushed out of the door, only to find Jaehwan kicking the chopping log at the back of the hut, a heavy-looking axe in his hands.

He leaned against the wooden wall of the hut, one foot crossed over his ankle and arms crossed on his chest: “What are you doing?” he asked, amused by the sight.  
Jaehwan yelped, and turned around: “Andraste’s holy knickers! Make some noise next time, will you? I almost-”  
“Died?” Taekwoon laughed quietly at Jaehwan’s upset expression. “I didn’t think I’d scare you so much, sorry.”  
Jaehwan nodded, and smiled feebly, waving the tingling sensation of lingering magic away from his fingertips.  
He was glad he had stopped talking when he did, because what he was really about to say was _‘I almost threw a fireball at you’_. And Taekwoon didn’t need to know that.

Taekwoon walked closer and stretched his hand out, asking for Jaehwan to pass the axe over to him.  
Jaehwan did and took a few steps back, watching as the templar set a log down and swung the axe in a wide arc behind his back and over his head, neatly chopping the piece of wood in two.  
“I’ll do this.” Taekwoon said as he effortlessly chopped another log. “You can go check on the farmers, you’ll have plenty of wood ready when you come back.”  
“Are you sure?” Jaehwan asked, frowning slightly.  
Taekwoon paused for a moment and chuckled: “I can train with my sword no problem, this is no different. Look,” he added, pulling his shirt up and showing him his stomach, “they’ve healed already, they don’t hurt at all.”  
Jaehwan nodded: “Alright, thank you then.”

Jaehwan then left, and when he came back later that afternoon, he found Taekwoon lying down on the grass outside his house, eyes closed.  
A smile spread on his lips as he tiptoed towards him, trying to be as silent as possible.  
When he thought he was close enough, he pounced.

With a scream, he threw his bag on the ground and jumped on Taekwoon, straddling him and immediately starting to tickle him.  
Taekwoon’s eyes shot open, and he tried to sit up, but Jaehwan’s weight kept him down.  
“That’s what you get for falling asleep!” Jaehwan grinned.  
“Jaehwan!” Taekwoon laughed, trying to dislodge him. “Stop it!”

Finally, Taekwoon’s hands closed around Jaehwan’s wrists. He bucked his hips and managed to make him lose his balance, rolling around till he was on top, pinning Jaehwan’s wrists over his head.  
“Who’s laughing now?” he mocked him, smirking.  
“Alright, alright… it was too good a chance to pass up, I’m sorry” Jaehwan smiled, looking up at Taekwoon’s face.

The templar loosened his grasp on Jaehwan’s wrists, ready to get up, when Jaehwan grinned, a mischievous look in his eyes: “You should have seen your face… Scared you more than a group of darkspawn, did I?”  
Taekwoon snorted: “You attacked me while I was sleeping, you coward.” He grabbed both of Jaehwan’s wrists in just one hand, and tickled his side. “I’ll have my revenge now.”

Jaehwan squirmed around, laughing hard and begging him to stop: “I’m so sorry! Please… I won’t do it anymore, stop it!”  
Taekwoon smiled, clearly enjoying the fight. At least until one of Jaehwan’s sudden movements threw him off-balance and he fell forward, his face mere inches apart from Jaehwan’s.

The two froze, all laugher dying in their throat as they stared at each other.  
Jaehwan didn’t know what to do: he could wrestle his arms free and jump up, moving out of Taekwoon’s reach and laugh it all away, or he could just… do nothing and wait.  
He kept his eyes on Taekwoon’s, and the air between them felt almost electric, making him overly aware of every little thing and detail.  
Jaehwan felt a fire spread inside his chest, rapidly moving up his neck and his face, and he licked his lips unconsciously.

Taekwoon followed that movement, shifting his gaze from his eyes to his full lips and then back up again, as if he was struggling to take a decision.  
He lifted his free hand and touched Jaehwan’s full lower lip with his fingertip, gently pulling on it and watching as his lips parted just slightly.

Jaehwan’s heartbeat sped up as he watched Taekwoon lean in, slowly.  
_He’s about to kiss me_, he thought, his mind going numb, _he’s about to kiss me and I’m letting him. This is crazy… but I want it_.  
Their lips were about to touch when Taekwoon’s face scrunched up in pain, and he rolled off Jaehwan, curling in on himself on the ground, groaning and panting.

Jaehwan was by his side in a heartbeat: “Taekwoon! What’s wrong? What’s happening?”  
“Lyrium…” Taekwoon rasped, gritting his teeth. “I haven't… been taking my dose.”  
“But I don't have any lyrium to make a potion for you!”  
Taekwoon put his hand on Jaehwan’s shoulder, squeezing hard as he tried to get on his feet.  
“No…” he shook his head, “take me… inside. It'll… go away soon.”  
Jaehwan helped him up, and they slowly made their way inside the hut.

Once he laid Taekwoon on the bed, he hurried to make a potion that would help ease the pain.  
Taekwoon refused anything stronger than a numbing potion, and Jaehwan never felt so helpless, only able to look on as Taekwoon writhed in pain for what seemed forever.  
Jaehwan kept cursing at himself: in all this time, he had completely forgotten to ask Taekwoon about the lyrium! If he had, he could have been prepared for such an occasion, and he wouldn’t have to suffer like that.

Eventually, the withdrawal symptoms subsided, and Taekwoon’s breath became steadier.  
“How do you feel now?” Jaehwan asked as he offered him some fresh water, which Taekwoon quickly gulped down.  
“I’m a lot better, thank you.”  
“Did that happen other times already?”  
“Once.” Taekwoon admitted, giving the empty cup back to Jaehwan. “About one or two weeks before you found me in the forest.”  
Jaehwan thought about it for a moment: “I was worried something like this would happen, to be honest, but I thought… yes, well, I thought you’d have seizures more frequently. I apologize, I probably should have inquired, even if it seemed a rather sensitive topic.”

At those words, Taekwoon smiled at him: “It’s not your fault, you don’t have to apologize. I’d been a full templar for a very short time before I left, so I didn’t really think I’d get withdrawal symptoms yet.”  
“Well, you might eventually get free of the addiction, seeing you hadn’t been taking lyrium for long. Unless you’re planning to go back, of course.”  
“No. I don’t think I am. I used to believe in the justice that the templars stood for, but everything’s changed now. Would you… would you let me stay here for a little longer? Until I decide what I want to do with my life now, at least.”  
Jaehwan’s smile was as bright as the sun: “Of course you can stay! Please, consider this your home for as long as you’d like.”  
Taekwoon smiled back, and Jaehwan felt a pleasant warmth in his chest.

That night, Jaehwan’s good mood darkened considerably as various thoughts crossed his mind: his almost-kiss with Taekwoon, and the fact that he would be living with him from now on, which led to another nagging thought, that of his magic.  
Eventually, he’d have to tell Taekwoon of him being a mage. It wasn’t something he could hide forever, after all.

Jaehwan spent hours in the dark of his hut, thinking about all the different ways Taekwoon could react to that confession.  
Would he understand and stay? Would he get mad and leave?  
If Taekwoon really was about to kiss him and wanted to stay there, it meant that he cared about him, right? And if he did, he should be ready to accept him for what he was, right? ...right?

Jaehwan sighed: he knew it was wishful thinking, but he couldn’t help but hope that Taekwoon wouldn’t condemn him for something he had no choice over.  
Tossing and turning, he finally fell asleep as the first rays of light crept through the little window of the hut.

\--------------------------

Taekwoon didn’t try to kiss Jaehwan anymore after that afternoon, but the mage didn’t have it in him to be disappointed.  
Taekwoon now would smile at him more, and found every excuse to be by his side, helping him with his chores or just sharing the same room, silently sitting by his work desk while Jaehwan restocked his potions and talked enough for both of them.

He was also touching him more now, small, innocent lingering touches on his arms and shoulders.  
His hand would stay just a few moments longer than it was necessary, disappearing before it became too obvious, and Jaehwan would indulge in the warmth that seemed to mark his body for hours, as if a fire had been lit from within.

Taekwoon had also begun accompanying Jaehwan in his visits to the farmers, and the two would often stop by the pond in the forest to gather herbs and rest before going back home.

It was during one of these moments that they heard unusual noises in the forest, not far from them. Steps and voices, in a part of the forest where there should have been none.  
It was too late to run away or hide, so they waited, ready to defend themselves if they had to.

Three men eventually came into view.  
They were all wearing long travelling coats over robes, and were all carrying nicely-carved staves, which immediately identified them for what they were.  
“Mages.” Taekwoon spat, low enough that only Jaehwan could hear.

After their initial surprise, the mages looked at them suspiciously, hands tight around their staves. Taekwoon too, slowly moved his hand over the hilt of his sword, more as a warning than a real threat.  
The man who looked like their leader took a step forward, his hand raised to show them his open palm in a peaceful gesture: “Greetings. We’re just wandering travelers, seeking to cross the forest.”  
Jaehwan nodded, but Taekwoon kept his hand on his side, ready to unsheathe his sword.  
The mages walked cautiously to the other side of the pond, giving them a wide berth.

The youngest of the trio had his eyes on Jaehwan, staring at him all the time.  
At one point he whispered something to their leader, who simply nodded.  
“I remember you.” the young mage stopped and said to Jaehwan in a soft voice. “You were my senior at the Tower.”  
Jaehwan blanched at those words, but the other mage didn’t notice, or if he did, he simply didn’t care.

“Come with us. We’re going to join another group at the other side of the forest, we’ll be safe.”  
Jaehwan shook his head, hoping that his reply would be enough to make them leave: “No, thank you. _We_’re fine.”  
“But…”  
“I’m sorry, but you must have mistaken me for someone else. I don’t know you.”  
The mage pressed his lips together but said nothing. He nodded curtly and he left together with his companions.

Jaehwan breathed out slowly, carefully avoiding looking at Taekwoon.  
“Well, that was… weird.” he tried to joke, trying to disperse the heavy air that now hung around them.  
Without a word, Taekwoon began walking in the direction of the hut, and Jaehwan had to run to catch up to him, swearing under his breath at meddlesome people.

“What was that about?” Taekwoon demanded once they were inside the house.  
“I have no idea, I don’t know them.”  
“Bullshit, Jaehwan!” the templar lashed out, making Jaehwan flinch. “They were clearly talking about the Tower of Magi, _the Circle_, and I saw the way you reacted!”  
He grabbed Jaehwan’s wrist and twisted it painfully, bringing it close to his face: “Show me.”

Jaehwan whined, and tried to break free, but Taekwoon was stronger.  
“Show me.” he repeated, voice low and menacing.  
Jaehwan sobbed, then closed his hand in a fist and opened it again, white energy fizzing softly all over his palm.

Taekwoon growled and pushed Jaehwan away, sliding his sword out of its scabbard and rounding on him.  
“A mage.” Taekwoon hissed, pushing him against the wall, the blade on his neck. “You are a _mage_.”  
“I’ve never meant you any harm. You know that.” Jaehwan murmured, swallowing nervously as he eyed the sword.  
The templar scoffed, pressing the sharp metal closer to Jaehwan’s skin, making him hold his breath: “And I should trust you? You've been lying to me till now. You were probably waiting for me to let my guard down and kill me, so you could gloat with your rebel friends.”

Jaehwan saw red at those words, all fear he’d had till now gone: “Of all the blasted… Of course I lied to you, you dumb ox! Could you blame me? Look at how you reacted! I could have killed you or let you die in the woods, but no! I had to bring you home, I healed you and fed you, because, obviously, my only purpose in life is to save dying templars and deceive them for weeks before hurling a fireball at their back!”  
When he finished, Jaehwan was panting and glaring at Taekwoon, who hesitantly lowered his sword and took a step back, his cheeks turning pink.

“Maker’s balls!” Jaehwan exclaimed, still angry, as he brought his hand up to massage his neck.  
He began walking from one side to the other of the small room, trying to calm down: “You told me you didn't agree with those renegade templars who began hunting down mages, killing them without mercy, and I believe you, but you won't believe I don't side with the mage rebels only because I'm a mage? That's quite hypocritical of you, Taekwoon.”

He sat down on the stool by his working desk and took his face in his hands with a loud sigh: “We’re not that different, you and I, why can't you see it? We both want peace, we both want both sides to step down and try to understand each other and get along, finally.”  
He looked up at Taekwoon with pleading eyes: “We could… we could succeed where they're failing, Taekwoon.” He offered his open hand to the templar: “We can be friends. Not a mage and a templar, but Jaehwan and Taekwoon. That’s all that matters.”  
Taekwoon stared, frowning, at Jaehwan’s outstretched hand, his own hand clenching and unclenching by his side, before silently exiting the hut.

When he came back, about half an hour later, Jaehwan was still sitting on the same stool, staring at his hands folded in his lap.  
“Were you ever going to tell me?” Taekwoon asked quietly.  
Jaehwan nodded: “I’ve been meaning to tell you for some time now. I just… didn’t know how. Or when.”

Taekwoon began picking up the templar uniform he hadn’t worn since Jaehwan brought him there.  
“You’re not going to stay then.” Jaehwan murmured. It wasn’t a question.  
“You’re an apostate, everything I’ve been trained to fear and fight.”

Jaehwan snorted: “Apostate… The Circles have fallen, Taekwoon. There’s no such distinction as Circle Mages and Apostates anymore.”  
“Still, I… can’t.” Taekwoon picked up his helmet and looked at him one last time.  
“It’s still me, though…” Jaehwan pleaded, but Taekwoon was already walking out. “You would have stayed if you hadn’t known.”  
“I’m sorry. Stay safe, Jaehwan.”  
The door closed softly, and Jaehwan began sobbing.

\--------------------------

Taekwoon felt like his world had crumbled around him. Again.  
He had felt angry and betrayed when Jaehwan admitted he was a mage. Now, he only felt miserable.

He didn’t know what to do, or where to go.  
The Templars and the Chantry claimed that all mages were dangerous, evil even, and must be feared, controlled, fought. Killed.  
But the mages they met earlier just wanted to get away from all the madness that was starting to consume Thedas, and Jaehwan… Jaehwan had been nothing but kind to him.

What was he supposed to believe in now? In the teachings of an Order that had failed him, or in Jaehwan’s words, who believed that mages and templars could get along, who believed that _they_ would be good together.  
Which was what Taekwoon had hoped for, deep down.

He was still walking through the forest, immersed in his thoughts, when someone ran up to him from the path up ahead.  
“Ser templar!”

Taekwoon recognized the little man who was now catching his breath: he was one of the farmers Jaehwan helped out regularly.  
“What’s wrong? Has something happened?”  
“Messere… other templars…” he began, “they went around the farms, questioned the people. They were looking for mages, ser. Any mage. They… weren’t kind.”

Taekwoon frowned: could they be his former comrades?  
“Are you alright?” he asked the farmer, genuinely concerned. The man was a good devil, he didn’t deserve to be caught up in this.  
“Yes, messere. For now at least. But… where’s the healer? Why isn’t he with you?”  
“We… parted ways.”

The farmer gasped, and grabbed Taekwoon’s arm: “Please, ser templar. Please don’t let anything happen to the healer.”  
“Why would you care so much about him? He’s a mage, I’m sure you know that.”  
“My daughter… she would be dead by now if it wasn’t for him. I owe him much. When he first arrived here, we threw rocks at him and chased him away, but he kept coming back and helped us out, despite everything. I’m afraid some of the other villagers won’t have the courage to stand up to the templars, but I can’t betray him. Please, please help him.”

Taekwoon nodded, and the man let him go, a smile on his face: “Thank you.”  
“No need to thank me. Go home, and run away if you think things are getting dangerous.”  
He watched the farmer disappear down the path before turning around and running in the direction of Jaehwan’s home, praying the Maker that he’d get there before anything happened.

“Jaehwan!” he called out when he reached the hut.  
The mage opened the door with a puzzled expression, which turned to surprise as soon as he saw him: “Taekwoon? Why-”  
“You can ask questions later.” Taekwoon pushed past him inside the hut. “We need to leave. There are templars nearby. I don’t know if they’re looking for those mages we saw this morning or not, but you’re not safe here.”

He grabbed Jaehwan’s bag and threw it over to him: “Grab your stuff, and be quick.”  
The mage nodded, and stuffed whatever little possession he owned in the bag, together with most of his potions.  
With a little hesitation, he kneeled by his bed and pulled one of the wooden boards of the floor free, retrieving his staff from underneath it.  
“I’m ready, we can go.” he said, straightening up as he looked Taekwoon in the eye. He was done hiding.  
Taekwoon looked at the staff, and then back at Jaehwan, a small smile on his lips.

But it seemed like luck was not on their side: as they walked out of the hut, they saw four templars walking towards them, weapons at the ready.  
“There he is!” one of them screamed, “He’s with the rookie who wanted to stop us.”

The templars charged, and Taekwoon cursed, getting ready for battle.  
“Stay behind me. They’ll try and null your magic, hit them on the back if you need.”  
Jaehwan could only nod before the first templar was on them. Taekwoon easily fended off the attack and pushed the enemy back, thus allowing Jaehwan to hit him with a fireball right in the middle of the chest, sending him sprawling on the ground a few metres from them.

Two more attacked Taekwoon right after, both at the same time, while the last templar began firing arrows from a distance.  
One of the templars fighting Taekwoon had his side open, and Jaehwan casted another spell at him, leaving him stunned long enough so that Taekwoon could get the upper hand with his other adversary.  
The sword fell from the templar’s hand after a well-placed slash, and Taekwoon finished him off quickly, plunging his sword deep in his chest.

“You really killed him.” Jaehwan murmured, eyes glued to the pool of blood spreading on the ground under the corpse.  
“So did you.” Taekwoon replied, pointing at the first templar that was now lying, lifeless, under a tree.  
“Now,” he continued, pulling Jaehwan away as an arrow whizzed past them, “take the archer down, I’ll take care of the other one.”

Jaehwan quickly made his way to the templar archer, using his magic to deflect any arrow that would land too near for comfort.  
The templar cursed at him, but Jaehwan began casting one spell after the other. Fire quickly enveloped the archer, who screamed and fell to the ground.

Jaehwan’s heart was racing, and he felt nauseous.  
He never liked fighting, he wasn’t made for it. Of course, he knew how to use every aspect of his magic, as he had to defend himself on more than one occasion, but… he was a healer.  
He wanted to help people, not kill them. Still, he wasn’t going to let these templars kill him because of what he was and had no power over. And he definitely wasn’t going to let them kill Taekwoon.  
He took a deep breath, and coughed as the acrid smell of the burned templar reached his nose.

A faint cry behind him made him whip round, and he gasped: Taekwoon was on the ground, one hand pressed to the side of his head, blood flowing profusely between his fingers.  
The templar was towering over him, sword raised over his head and ready to strike.  
Jaehwan didn’t even think: anger and fear boiled up inside him, and magic flowed through his body and out of his hand, a ball of energy that hit the templar and exploded in a flash of light, sending him flying backwards.

“Taekwoon!” he yelled, running to his friend and kneeling down next to him.  
Taekwoon tried to sit up, but Jaehwan pushed him down, turning his head to the side so he could inspect his wound: “I’ll need to treat this before we leave. Stay still.”  
“We don’t- we don’t have time for potions and such, Jaehwan. There could be more-”  
“Who said anything about potions?”  
Jaehwan raised his hand over Taekwoon’s head and a warm light spread from it, slowly but steadily healing the cut.

“Thank you.” Taekwoon groaned as he took Jaehwan’s hand and let him pull him back on his feet.  
“It was just a small cut. I hope the magic wasn’t too ticklish, I know-.”  
Taekwoon cut him off with a chuckle: “You saved my life, idiot. Thank you.”  
“Oh, _that_. Yes, well… you would have done the same, wouldn’t you.”  
“I would have never let any of them touch you.” was Taekwoon’s reply, and Jaehwan felt his face on fire under the templar’s intense stare.

“We better leave immediately.” Taekwoon went on, taking a step back to take off his templar armour and changing into the regular clothes he’d worn till now. “And I should leave this stuff here, it would be best if I don’t stand out too much while we travel.”  
“Where will we go, Taekwoon?”  
“I’m not sure. I was thinking… how do you feel coming back to Highever with me? With some luck, I will be able to work for the teyrn, like the rest of my family. And I’m sure the people will need your potions.”  
Jaehwan laughed softly: “Why not? Anything’s better than staying here and live in fear.” He smiled at Taekwoon: “And I won’t be alone.”

They left immediately, heading north out of the forest and towards Denerim. They didn’t meet anyone on the road, except for a couple of travelling merchants, and that eased their minds greatly.  
Once it was too dark to continue, they set up camp in a small clearing, lighting a fire and eating a few strips of dried meat that they had packed in their hurry.

“Thanks again for coming back. You saved my life.” Jaehwan told Taekwoon as they sat around the fire, “I didn’t think you’d do it, after the way we parted.”  
“I should apologize for that. I was suddenly so angry…”  
“You don’t have to. It hurt, I can’t deny it, but I _did_ lie to you, didn’t I? Even if it was out of fear.” Out of nervousness, Jaehwan picked up a few blades of grass, before adding in a small voice: “Do you… do you still see me like that? As something to fear?”  
Taekwoon took a deep breath and looked up at the starry sky, looking thoughtful: “It’s hard to suddenly let go of all the things they’ve been teaching you everyday… I’m trying to, though. I… I really want to see you just as who you are, not what other people told me you should be. Like you told me before.”

He paused, then looked to his side to Jaehwan: “Although… There’s still something I want to do, and I think I’ve waited way too long already.”  
“Oh? And what is it?” Jaehwan asked, curious.  
Taekwoon grinned as he slowly leaned in, and placed a soft kiss on Jaehwan’s lips: “This.”

A wide smile spread on Jaehwan’s face as Taekwoon pulled away after their kiss: “Funny… that’s exactly what I wanted to do too…”  
“Is that so?” Taekwoon replied, eyes shining playfully as his smile quickly matched Jaehwan’s.

Jaehwan nodded and pulled Taekwoon to him again, stealing one kiss after the other, silently thanking the Maker’s weird sense of humor that brought a mage and a templar together.  
Together, they will prove their crazy world wrong, he just knew it.


End file.
